Wendy de los Reyes

Wendy de los Reyes serves as Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Claremont McKenna College and Director of the AMPLIFY Lab (Advocacy, Mentorship, and Participatory research with Latin Immigrant Families and Youth). Her work centers on strengths-based approaches to Latine and immigrant-origin adolescent development within cultural-ecological systems theory, examining youth resistance to structural inequities through mentoring relationships and institutional youth voice expansion.

She earned her B.S.Ed. and M.S.Ed. from the University of Miami, followed by a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from DePaul University and postdoctoral training in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. Her research integrates her identity as a Cuban immigrant, first-generation college student, and native Spanish/English speaker to investigate macro-contextual influences like racism and xenophobia on youth development.

Dr. de los Reyes' publications reveal consistent focus on Latinx youth sociopolitical development, refugee mental health, and community-university partnerships. Her work spans systematic reviews, community-based participatory research, and studies on natural mentoring, with strong emphasis on youth agency within oppressive systems. The AMPLIFY Lab's butterfly symbol (representing transformation and hope) reflects her commitment to youth-led social change through relationship-centered approaches.

She received the Society for Research in Child Development - Latinx Caucus Dissertation Award for her contributions to understanding immigrant youth experiences.

As lab director, she leads collaborations with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership on mixed-methods studies of youth sociopolitical development, actively recruiting new members for projects examining how Latinx youth navigate social issues through supportive relationships in educational and community settings.